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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A report arrived that Australia's notorious Life Enhancement Centre, Hillsong, is building a new LEC in New York City. Too many churches today have sold out to this notorious prosperity teacher where modern venues -- not just in Australia, but worldwide and in mainstream television programmes both Down Under and Up North, are singing their songs.

Some college professors are into mandatory indoctrination of children in order to allow them to be the next followers of a “cult” similar to the cult of personality of certain leaders of this nation (see the past few elections). Agents of indoctrination are there to force people to go lock-step with them, and the result is a generation that has only been involved in feelings and never debate or discussion. To these professors, “they are mine,” and they will not let them go. They will be his slave for life, opposing the views taught by the family, in church, or parochial school for the first 18 years.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Seductive Arias. We've heard of Death by Chocolate, but an interesting note flew by me this weekend from the soprano soloist in Beethoven's Mass in C Major that I participated in June as she is a graduate student at the University of Maryland - College Park. She said that one of her classes for the Master's degree she is pursuing is called "Death by Aria".

Now what arias are seductive enough for a soprano, alto, tenor (which is this author's voice part), or bass to sing?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

[Australian television network] Channel Nine recently revealed that it is considering a plan to repackage its Monday night [Australian Rules Football] matches, so that the grandstands are filled with virtual spectators. They argue that using conjuring tricks to fill the empty seats with cheering fans is entirely acceptable as people do not go out on Monday nights.

Virtual spectators. I know - no comments. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin', you know? ◙

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Well, we're back. Sorry for the brief dead air. Let's hear from people who are never at a loss for words.

Charles Krauthammer on the Ground Zero Mosque: "Ground Zero is the site of the most lethal attack of that worldwide movement, which consists entirely of Muslims, acts in the name of Islam and is deeply embedded within the Islamic world. These are regrettable facts, but facts they are. And that is why putting up a monument to Islam in this place is not just insensitive but provocative."

Dennis Prager on the Left's inability to stop demonizing the Right: "A related defining characteristic of the Left is the ascribing of nefarious motives to conservatives. For the Left, a dismissal of conservatives’ motives is as important as a dismissal of the conservatives as people. It is close to impossible for almost anyone on the left — and I mean the elite Left, not merely left-wing blogs — to say, “There are good people on both sides of this issue.” From Karl Marx to Frank Rich of the New York Times, this has always been the case."

Thomas Sowell on "dismantling America": "How did we get to the point where many people feel that the America they have known is being replaced by a very different kind of country, with not only different kinds of policies but very different values and ways of governing?" Read the column to find out the answer.

Terry Teachout on incivility in the blogosphere: "It goes without saying that the world has always contained plenty of people who assume that you're a contemptible idiot if you disagree with them about anything. To be sure, I doubt that such creatures are significantly more numerous today than they were a century ago, or even a quarter-century, but I incline to think that they now talk quite a bit louder than they used to--especially when they're sitting alone at their computers."

"Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO and listen to a black comic, and all you here is (November, November, November). I don't get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing. But when black people say it, it's affectionate. It's very confusing."

She is correct. Many black “recording artists” are known for the questionable language. One rap group of the late 1980's-early 1990's, NWA, meant (November) With Attitude. One of their ditties, “($25,000 fine and 25 points) the Police,” includes the lines “A ($25,000 fine and 25 points) in a blue uniform / A young (racial epithet in question) on the warpath / When I finish it's going to be a bloodbath”. The song taunted policemen. In Christopher (Ludcaris) Bridges' song “(prostitute reference) in My Room,” recorded with Calvin (Snoop Dogg) Broadus, that racial epithet is consistently referenced in the song, as are numerous $25,000 and 25 point words. A stanza full of obscenties references bad prostitutes in the room with both rappers, and Mr. Bridges blames it on Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, which Mr. Broadus responds “You white bread, chicken ($25,000 fine and 25 points) (racial epithet in question).”

The language that is used on premium pay-television (HBO, Showtime, PPV) is notoriously coarser than broadcast network television. Dr. Schlessinger's reference of the language of black comics being laden with racial epithets should have also be blunter, referencing the obscene language of such comics. In today's pay-television attitude, obscenity replaces talent.

It was both the mix that Dr. Laura is against the liberal viewpoints and the liberals' attitude of bleep all you want, show all you want regardless of coarseness of language that led to the trouble. Her point is the coarseness of pay-television language is extremely prevalent in what is shown today. She is correct. Why attack her for that? ◙

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I have an admission to make. The horrific tragedy that took place on the Edisto River this week is only 4,000 meters from home on a road that I have made many trips (church, softball games, golf course, even a bike ride or two, and a few runs). Shillings Bridge Road links US 178 to US 301/601 and is a rural road that runs through many farms, a church, and links to schools in the area. From the time I make the left turn off Lake Edisto Road to Shillings Bridge the boat ramp in question is easily seen, next to a few houses as the road crosses the Edisto River.

I remember the Susan Smith incident in the Upstate in Union County in November 1994 (new style; there was no October 1994 because of a declaration on September 14, 1994 that cancelled the month) and wondered if that media case was more serious than usual because of a lack of newsworthy events caused by incidents the previous month. Instead of talking about Game 3 of the Fall Classic (which, btw, was lucky for the kyojin), the media was adrift in the Susan Smith incident. In that incident, we had a Medea who plead for the safe return of the children she had killed herself by driving the vehicle into the lake in question. With the lack of newsworthy stories because of the labour situations that resulted in the Long November, the media was relegated to pressing this story every day. She later admitted she killed the children.

I saw a parallel with this heinous act. Miss Duley killed her two children at a motel on US 301 Monday night (did not say which one, but there are some shady motels in the area before you access Shillings Bridge), strapped their corpses into child seats, and drove the car into the boat ramp to simulate a drowning. A dispute between Miss Duley and her mother had taken place, and on the first day of school for most children, two were dead.

This year was the first time since 2001 that a Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was not declared by the White House (instead we had celebrations of the promotion of baby murder, and sexual deviants), and it reminds me that we have lost Official Sanction of the Sanctity of Human Life (having participated in our state March for Life the past 13 years, two National Right to Life Conventions, and a few dinners) has me wondering. We go from abortion to euthanasia, and “dilation and extraction” (partial-birth) abortion (illegal under federal law) (where the baby arrives feet-first and the doctor kills the baby before the head exits the uterus), to where full children are allowed to be murdered by their mothers in grief. The disgust of this incident is beyond belief. We also are no longer allowed to punish teenage murderers with appropriate penalties, but coddle them under foreign law. Surely the wrath of removing the sanctity of human life has come to us. ◙

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Minnesota Governor’s race has formally kicked off. The Primary Election is over. However, even before the Primaries it’s been a pretty interesting race. It seems that the only people who were not running for Governor were me and Mitchell.

Just before the Primary Election, Target Corp donated to the PAC that supports one of the Republican candidates for Governor , Tom Emmer. No big deal, right? Corporations donate money to political candidates and causes and charities every day, right? Well, someone thought it was a big deal because Emmer does not support gay marriage and Target has a strong corporate reputation for “diversity and inclusion”. Target offers benefits to domestic partners and donates money to gay favorable organizations.

Some organizations like MoveOn.org (not exactly a bulwark of conservativism in case you were wondering) called for a boycott of Target because of the donation-apparently, they forgot all the solid leftie causes that Target also gives money to.

I don’t detect heavy sales losses at SuperTarget; when I shopped there yesterday the crowds were as they always are.

It works both ways, right? Focus on Family calls for boycotts regularly. Remember the campaign against Miller a few years ago? There have been calls for boycotts against Pepsi, Disney and other organizations by conservatives. Unions regularly call for boycotts of anti-union companies; tire companies are a longstanding union target. Arizona gets a lot of bad press these days too.

It’s hard to say if liberal boycotts are ultimately more effective than conservative boycotts or vice versa. Yet, it seems like the conservative boycotts don’t get as much press as the liberal ones do.

We should all be outraged when freedom of speech is applied more liberally (no pun intended) to some causes more than others. What, exactly, did Target do wrong? Didn’t they exercise their right to donate their money as they choose? Are they obligated to vet their donations to popular vote beforehand? Should they check with their employees to see what the employees want them to spend the money on?

Target has corporate practices supporting “diversity and inclusion.” In my experience, that phrase usually means support liberal and left wing causes, and support GLBTQ employee by openly accepting their lifestyle: read, don't go public in the office with your disagreement of unmarried people living together (whether same sex or not).

What about everyone else? What about those who support traditional families? If we are honest, isn’t the traditional family: Mom, Dad who are married raising a family of their kids they have had together. a minority group these days? When are corporate bylaws going to trumpet “We support traditional family units!”

A co-worker was upset that Target did what they did because they basically “slapped their own employees” Really? What and how do employees who think traditional expressions of the nuclear family are best for the culture and for child rearing feel? How do they feel in environments that praise “anything goes”?

Tom Emmer (GOP), Mark Dayton (DFL)

What do we or what can we as Christian employees do? Refuse to work at “diversity and inclusion” companies? What do you do if the company you worked at for 20 years suddenly sponsors your local Pride Parade- quit in protest? I know I raised a lot of questions in this post that I have no answer for.

Some may say that Target really goofed up. But, I will say that Tom Emmer’s campaign got a lot of publicity from it; maybe not all bad. Traditional marriage and family advocates now know who to vote for in November and Emmer is no fool; his ads are working it.

For the record, Tom Emmer won the Republican Primary. His DFL (which my Grandpa always said stands for D----d F-----g Liberals) the Minnesota version of the Democratic party, opponent will be Mark Dayton, a candidate with a personally deep pocketbook, a long record of liberality and a generally uninspiring demeanor. You can count on the central Twin Cities and Duluth voting DFL, but I think Emmer has a real shot at winning outstate MN and the suburbs and exurbs of the Metro. President Obama’s less than stellar approval ratings may hurt Dayton; also the economy and the waning Minnesotan approval of raising taxes as the answer to all fiscal woes and the DFL’s historic approval of that accounting method may hurt Dayton. Minnesota is notorious as a tax and spend state. Can’t balance the budget? Raise taxes. The population is so sick of higher taxes (how can you pay more taxes when you are barely employed or unemployed?) that the DFL has finally woke up and even Chris Coleman, DFL Mayor of St. Paul, FINALLY says no new taxes in 2011 (wonder what he’s going to do with the old taxes?). Call me skeptical.

Monday, August 16, 2010

While all the controversy has arrived over the building of an Islamic mosque that would be tradition that Islam builds "victory mosques" in areas of major victories (here, the proposed Ground Zero mosque that government in New York City and the President endorse), a church that was destroyed by Usama's Henchmen (no wonder we see why that's another major "victory" of Islam on that terrifying morning in September)

So they're spending our money on numerous projects in the name of "recovery" in a Keynesian way of spend to stimulate while the economy still has unemployment at over 20%. There is a double standard on taxes.◙

Sunday, August 15, 2010

'For Obama, 9/11 was a “deeply traumatic event for our country.” Traumatic events invite characteristic reactions and over-reactions–fearfulness, anger, even hysteria. That’s how Obama understands the source of objections to the Ground Zero mosque. It’s all emotional. The arguments don’t have to be taken seriously. The criticisms of the mosque are the emotional reactions of a traumatized people.

"But Americans aren’t traumatized. 9/11 was an attack on America, to which Americans have responded firmly, maturely, and appropriately. Part of our sensible and healthy reaction is that there shouldn’t be a 13-story mosque and Islamic community center next to Ground Zero (especially when it’s on a faster track to be built than the long-delayed memorial there). But Obama (like Bloomberg) doesn’t feel he even has to engage the arguments against the mosque–because he regards his fellow citizens as emotionally traumatized victims, not citizens who might have a reasonable point of view."

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Recently, Ingrid (see past columns) had an interview with English composer Dr. John Rutter, and discussed her favourite Rutter piece was "The Lord Bless and Keep You," of which we have this 2002 production at St. Paul's Cathedral as part of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Hope you enjoy this. ◙

Friday, August 6, 2010

How many of you remember the 1960s Saturday morning cartoon Linus the Lionhearted? (Not to be confused with King Leonardo, another cartoon featuring a royal lion, or with Linus Van Pelt from Peanuts.) Perhaps you're more familiar with one of the characters that appeared on Linus - Sugar Bear. And therein lies the tale.

Linus the Lionhearted ran on CBS and ABC (which is where I remember it) from 1964 to 1969. The characters were created originally as advertising characters for Post cereals, hence Sugar Bear. The FCC made a ruling in 1969 that forbade children's show characters from appearing in advertisements on the same program and ABC was forced to cancel the program.*

* Interesting - I hadn't thought of this before, but King Leonardo was sponsored by General Mills, the archrival to Post. What the appeal of animated lions for cereal companies was, I don't know.

Of course, one might wonder whatever happened to that FCC ruling, since so many cartoons on TV today seem to be nothing but full-length commercials. They don't even try to tell a story. (I seem to recall having seen a Pokeman cartoon a few years ago which seemed to consist solely of kids playing the game; if that isn't a commercial, I'm not sure what is.) Unfortunately, this was the era of so-called "reform" of children's programming, spearheaded by groups such as the Children's Television Workshop, which in reality served primarily to destroy local children's TV, wiping out the necessary relationship between host and sponsor that kept these shows on the air.

Our first clip is the opening title sequence for Linus, which makes me wonder how there was any time for either cartoons or advertising!

Finally, we have a clip of the aforementioned Sugar Bear, who somehow survived everything and continues (unlike the others) plugging cereal - it used to be known as Sugar Crisp before being P.C.'d into its current name, Golden Crisp. I always thought Sugar Bear was supposed to sound like Bing Crosby, and apparently others thought so as well. I don't know why the other characters failed to survive as commercial icons; perhaps someone else has the info. ◙

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”- from the Declaration of Independence

Another absurd ruling by Judge Vaughan Walker, an admitted sexual deviant, who believes his feelings and foreign laws are superior to the laws passed by the people by the defeat of Proposition 8.

Sen. DeMint (who is this author's Senator) noted in a statement, “(W)e cannot simply toss (marriage) aside to fit the political whims of liberal activists with gavels. Marriage is a religious institution that was codified into law to protect it. Now, the courts are trying to deprive the majority of Americans who value marriage the democratic ability to protect it any longer. If our marriage laws are valueless, they will become meaningless.”

California voters passed Proposition 22 that declared “marriage is a between one man and one woman” in 2000. In 2008, an activist judge ruled it unconstitutional, and mandated the legalisation of false marriage, resulting in a Constitutional Amendment to secure the rule of one man and one woman (Proposition 8), which passed. Now a judge has decided this is illegal, and this time, the laws and constitutional amendments of a majority of states are being overturned on the feelings of one activist judge. This decision was cheered by both Senators of the state in question and the de facto Prime Minister of the nation (Speaker Pelosi) who, not the President (GW Bush), ran the nation from 2007-09 by passing legislation that created this mess in the totalitarian style of the Left, which together cheered the decision (in fact, her press secretary, a homosexual male, “married” his partner in Washington DC, where false marriage is recognised) to force marriage to be redefined to what is used in Argentina, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium, and other “progressive” nations. The danger here is the more nations approve such false “marriage,” the more we'll see the Supreme Court justices who believe the nation's legislative capital is in Bruxelles use those nations' laws to overturn state amendments passed by the people (which is how Massachusetts started this mess in the first place by declaring foreign law superior).

The approval of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court (who told law school students to not study United States law, but mandated study of foreign law, and wanted the military off campus in order to protest against her feelings), and the declaration of Proposition 8 as unconstitutional both fit the long train of abuses by leaders to reduce the people to Despotism. ◙

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Perhaps it was the fact that we shared a first name, or maybe it was the fascination a bouncing dot had for a small boy sitting in front of the television. Whatever the reason, I grew up a fan of Mitch Miller. I've been told that I was quite the sight, standing in front of the TV with my legs together, arms stretched out, waving my hands in imitation of Miller's famous conducting pose. Ah, those were the days.

Mitch Miller was a singularly unlikely television star. He was a classical oboeist, a studio musician, and head of recording for Columbia Records. He worked with, and later feuded with, Sinatra. He certainly had an eye for talent: his discoveries included Tony Bennett, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney and Johnny Mathis. He had a knack for marketing: In 1954, the producers of the CBS TV anthology Studio One approached Miller in search of a song for a drama they were doing about payola in the music industry. He gave them a ballad called "Let Me Go, Devil," and urged them to use an unknown singer rather than an established star. The show was telecast (with the song now titled "Let Me Go, Lover"); Miller had shrewdly seen to it that store shelves were well-stocked with recordings of the song. It was a smash, and sold 500,000 copies in five days.

He made a few records himself, and had a big choral hit with "The Yellow Rose of Texas." Yes, Mitch Miller was doing pretty well. But there was one thing Mitch Miller didn't like: rock music. It wasn't his kind of music, the music that had been so successful for him for so long. So he decided to fight back, with what was called the "Sing-along" album, recordings of old favorites with the lyrics printed on the cover so listeners could sing along with Mitch and the gang.

And when Sing Along With Mitch debuted on television in 1961, Mitch Miller became a star.

Sing Along With Mitch was an instant surprise hit, reaching #15 in its first season. It slaughtered The Untouchables (perhaps the most violent program on television at the time). It spawned the successful singing career of Leslie Uggams. It introduced us to Bob McGrath, of Sesame Street fame, who was a longtime singalongers. Not bad.

The show stayed on the air for three seasons, was seen in reruns through 1966. The Christmas specials were always a highlight. The records sold well. Eventually, of course, the British invasion and the rock movement proved too much. But Mitch Miller never really faded away entirely. He was a pretty good, not great, player on Password. He was a frequent guest conductor for the Boston Pops. (And wouldn't it have been interesting had he, and not John Williams, been chosen to succeed Arthur Fielder?) A lot of people credit Miller with being the progenitor of karaoke. OK, we'll give him a pass on that one.

Today I suppose it's hard to imagine a show like that being a hit, but then back in the day, almost anything was possible on television. It's - well, it's unfortunate that TV, with its astounding technological advances, is in many ways far less advanced than it was when it depended on the incredible creativity of its pioneers. But, as with so many other things, that's a story for another day. The story for this day is Mitch Miller, who was born on the 4th of July and died this weekend at 99. ◙

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

We've seen steroid cheats in sports. We've seen blood doping scandals at Le Tour. Now illegal lead weights on killed bass in a bass fishing tournament? Dead bass are penalised at tournaments where a catch and release policy is enforced. Guy had dead bass and had lead weights in the fish to make them heavier. Go figure. Our next game (as Hemingway would say) with a cheating scandal. ◙

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

(Mankato, MN--August 2, 2010) The Minnesota Vikings, reacting quickly to today's apparently official announcement by Brett Favre that he will indeed "retire" from the NFL, have announced their new quarterback selection: former NFL great and Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle.Tittle, now 84 but described as in "near game shape" by those who've seen him working out recently with the local junior high football team in Marshall, Texas, held numerous passing records during his sixteen-year career. He played college ball at Louisiana State and went on to play professionally for the Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Giants. Tittle threw seven touchdown passes on October 28, 1962, in a game against the Washington Redskins that the Giants won 49-34. In 1963, he set what was then an NFL record by throwing 36 touchdown passes, a record that stood for 21 years.

"You just can't ignore passing performance like that," said Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress. "Sure, there are questions about Yelberton's age and durability, but we had the same questions about Favre two years ago and look what he was able to do. We've got medical reports that show Tittle as having two solid ankles, which is what we didn't have with Favre. That makes us very optimistic."

Reached by phone shortly after his daily 3 p.m. nap, Tittle seemed happy about the opportunity to return to the NFL. "I liked playing football," he said. "I remember playing football. Sure a few things have changed, but it all comes down to throwing the ball to someone who wants to catch it."

In a simultaneous and perhaps related announcement, the NFL Rules Committee said today that helmet faceguards will once again be an optional rather than mandatory piece of equipment.

Wall Street Journal: 100 Years of Merit Badges Although I didn't do Boy Scouts (didn't know much, as we didn't have much when I grew up, BSA Troop 45 was directly across the street from our home on Marshall Street where I grew up), I respected them and my eighth-grade geography teacher was the Scoutmaster.

James Allen: Webber charges to Eni Magyar Nagydíj win as Vettel is Caught Napping. Now what Vettel did was team orders on the restart. Bernd Mayländer made the stupidest mistake by not calling his observer to report the violation. Brett Bodine (Sprint Cup), Johnny Rutherford (Izod), Randy Kiser (CWTS) would have nailed the violation easily.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Compare New York, which has lots of state and city income tax, with Texas, which has no state income tax. In 1970, New York had 18 million people. Today, 40 years later, 19 million people — not very much growth. Texas in 1970 had 11 million people. Now it has 24 million. Most people didn’t anticipate this shift in 1970. They thought, 'Well, you can throw any amount of taxes on there. It won’t make much difference because people have to be in New York, and they won’t like Texas because it’s hot there in the summer.' Not only did they fail to understand economic incentives, they failed to understand air conditioners."